


Payphone

by RosexKnight



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-11
Updated: 2016-10-11
Packaged: 2018-08-21 20:30:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8259631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RosexKnight/pseuds/RosexKnight
Summary: Home. He needed to call home. Needed to call Bae and explain what happened. Needed to ask him to pick him up and go home with his tail between his legs. Try to figure out what his next move would be. And yet, he found his fingers dialing her number once again.





	

**Author's Note:**

> ((This was initially supposed to be alot longer, but it’s been sitting in my Google Docs for so long that good lord I just kinda need it out now. So here ya go! Caution: A dash of angst with a happy ending.))

Home. He needed to call home. Needed to call Bae and explain what happened. Needed to ask him to pick him up and go home with his tail between his legs. Try to figure out what his next move would be.

And yet he found his fingers dialing her number once again.

"Hello you've reached Belle French. Leave a--"

With a growl he hung up, running his hand over his face. What a sight he must make. Man in a three-piece suit digging in his pockets for change. Perhaps he could pawn his cufflinks. He was running out. He needed to call home.

But oh he wanted to apologize. Wanted to beg her forgiveness. Wanted to tell her that this was all wrong. Wanted their happy ever after.

What has he even been thinking?

"Hello you've reached Belle French. Leave a--"

The phone slammed onto the receiver as he dug for the last of his change. One more. One more try, and then he'd leave. He'd find a hotel to stay in for the night and go back to Storybrooke in the morning.

But that was wrong. Her last name should have been Gold. Would have been if he'd just proposed that night instead of staring dumbly at her and shaking his head at her glare and stern words.

It had all happened too fast. One moment the night was fine. Going perfectly. The next she’d received a text from whoever the fuck Will Scarlet was. A work friend, she’d said. Seeking relationship advice, she’d explained. But he knew better. That was always how it started. They always tossed him aside for a newer model. That wasn’t how that night was supposed to go. Especially not with the ring in his pocket. He’d been too abrasive. Too rash. Too harsh. The night wasn’t supposed to have yelling, but it did anyway.

Of course she wanted to get married. They had talked about it before. Of course she would have asked if he was interested in it again. And of course he would have fucked it up by being a coward and making assumptions.

And now, here he was, at a pay phone in the middle of the street trying to call her because he couldn't be bothered to make it back to his home and son before calling her or turning the cab he’d caught at first around to go back to her house. Because he couldn't picture her not there next to him when he’d get home.

"Hello? This is Belle French."

"Belle!" He choked. "Don't hang up."

"Gold?" We tone was surprised, but oh her voice was liquid. "Where are you?"

"I'm at a payphone. Belle this is all wrong. We had plans. I--"

"You weren't interested in them."

"Belle please."

"Gold look it's late I really need to--"

"Don't hang up!"

A silence stretched, and Gold clenched his cane so hard his knuckles turned sore.

"It's too late to make it, Gold. I can't do this."

"But is it too late to try?"

She paused, and he heard a sigh. Then, finally "Where are you?"

"I told you at a--"

"Yes but where? What street?”

His mind reeled, his consciousness seeming to finally catch up to his body. “What?”

A sigh, a pause, and then… “I'm coming to pick you up."

He was only vaguely aware that he was telling her what street corner he was on before hanging up. As he moved out of the glass phone booth and onto the street he paused, turning the ring over in his hand. His leg was aching in the cool night air, and he had to sit. He sat and stared at the ring as it slowly dawned on him that this wasn’t over. He hadn’t fucked it up. She--

“You need help, sir?”

Gold’s head shot up. A police officer had stopped before him, and he realized the sight he must have made. A man in a three-piece suit, sitting on the cold sidewalk on a chilly night, gazing at an engagement ring.

“I’m fine.” Gold said.

“Can I take you someplace, old timer?”

For a moment, Gold fumed. He hated when his age was brought up. And what business was it of his anyway? Did he even realize who he was talking to?!

“I ought to--!”

“Sorry officer.” The sound of her voice was literal music. Heels clacked against the sidewalk as she came to stand at his side. “He’s with me.”

The police officer looked them over, then glanced back to the pair of headlights that belonged to her car, parked behind him.

“You alright miss?”

“I’m fine.” Belle said, practically hauling him to his feet. “I’m sorry. My fiance is a bit of a difficult man to love.”

Fiance. The word knocked the breath out of Gold’s lungs. The officer nodded, told her to move her car soon, and was soon off.

“God you’re freezing!” Belle said, wrapping his suit jacket tighter around him.

“Belle...I--”

She cut him off with a light kiss, then held out her left hand. He stared at her, dumbfounded. She frowned. “Well aren’t you going to put the ring on my finger?”

“Y-Yes!” Gold choked, fumbling with the ring so much he nearly dropped it. The gold band was a perfect fit around her ring finger, and the diamond there sparkled in the streetlight.

“Come on.” Belle said, not letting go of his hand. “I put on some tea before I left. Let’s get you warmed up. Then we can talk about things.”

“You’re really saying yes...” Gold said, barely recognizing when he was in her car and they were driving away.

Belle laughed, the sound bittersweet. “You stupid man. We’re going to have to work on your doubting me first.”


End file.
